APICIA MANIFESTO

At APICIA, apitherapy is much more than a natural way of taking care of yourself. It's a philosophy of life that leads us to think more broadly about what we eat and what we put on our skin.

APICIA is therefore committed to developing 100% natural products, certified ORGANIC by ECOCERT, highly concentrated in active ingredients, tested under dermatological control.

If our vision of responsible beauty is not limited to prohibited products, our ethics and our desire for transparency towards you invite us to position ourselves by excluding certain ingredients that are still controversial today regarding their harmful effects on health.

Such as cyclomethicone, cyclotetrasiloxane, cyclopentasiloxane, or cyclohexasiloxane) They are mainly used to give “texture” to a product, facilitate its application, improve the hold of a makeup product, or even stabilize sharp active ingredients. (like retinol or peptides for example). In addition to their harmful effects on the environment, studies have shown their potential carcinogenic, mutagenic and toxic effects for the reproductive system.

Such as homosalate and benzophenone, often present in products using SPF. They are currently being re-evaluated, the suspicion being on their repercussions on the endocrine system.

Used for the preservation of products, they have been called into question since 2004 following a study highlighting their carcinogenic, allergenic and estrogen-like potential, that is to say, mimicking the effect of certain of our hormones. While some, known as “long-chain”, have been banned in France since 2014, others, such as butylparaben and propylparaben, remain authorized even though they are considered very likely endocrine disruptors.

These are antioxidants known to protect oils from going rancid. Thus, they are often found in products rich in fatty substances, such as creamy creams or lipsticks. However, both are suspected of being strong endocrine disruptors, even identified as carcinogenic by the IARC (International Agency for Research on Cancer).

These are very sensitizing preservatives and major allergens, present in many products, sometimes even displaying the words “sensitive skin”, “hypoallergenic”, or even “dermatologically tested”. Also note in the range of high-risk preservatives phenoxyethanol, particularly for pregnant women and very young children.

Such as sodium lauryl sulfate, or ammonium lauryl sulfate, used for their surfactant properties, that is to say, as a washing agent in many products. However, they are highly irritating and sensitizing.

Present in many shampoos, it serves as a preservative, anti-dandruff, protective and hair care agent; in facial cleansers, it can be exfoliating and anti-acne; in facial care, it acts by smoothing the skin texture and helps mask redness and imperfections. Despite all these virtues, there remains one ingredient to watch out for. Studies are also underway to highlight its role as an endocrine disruptor.

Also known under the code E171. Although it has been banned in food since 2020 as a carcinogen, it remains present in certain cosmetic products as an anti-UV filter, or makeup dye, but is also used to tint the capsules of certain food supplements.

These are emulsifiers which act as texturing agents, and allow the active ingredients to penetrate inside the cells. Some are also humectant, meaning they retain water and prevent drying. Although no health issues have yet been proven, their ecological impact is far from neutral, particularly in the manufacturing process, which is why APICIA has decided to exclude them from the list of composition of its ingredients.

Derived from petrochemicals, mineral oils are purely synthetic, and are used for their occlusive property, that is to say they form a film on the surface of the skin in order to limit dehydration. We therefore believe that these ingredients have no intrinsic quality for our skin, which explains APICIA's choice to exclude them from the composition of its products.